Scanned this today from a 1972 article...... I was down here not too long ago, the place is trashed, I will try and pop down to th ehydro on the weekend and get a few snaps for comparison.....
Dont get me upset seing this sad demise .. I made my opinion known previously on even "giving" this huge potential business to someone .. or at least selling it for a nominal price .. soo short sighted .. such a waste .. such dereliction .. now mostly beyond rescue .. and anyhow I read the glib comment about transport arrangemments phasing out the need for the hydroponics .. now in this day of carbon footprint . rising fuel costs .. etc .. would it not have made more sense ???? hindsight ??
Yes very upsetting indeed. I will always remember Oranjemund as a wonderful green town and lots of flowers everywhere. And also the pride of looking after your garden. Sad that it seems to be disappearing. I remember my Dad was always so proud of his gardens at the hostel. I think this was taken at North Hostel. Even with a mine dump in the background - in the middle of the desert - look at the beautiful flowers that loved the soil of that beautiful town!
Hi Mike,
This is sad indeed, I was shocked to hear about the generators being sold, but this is far worse, what a waste.
When we came to Oranjemund, fresh veggies were just something you read of in books.
Our parents used to buy dehydrated veggies in carboard tins about 300mm high with a diameter of about 100mm, closed top and bottom with metal. I think it was imported from Rhodesia. Just add hot water and you had loverly green beans, cauliflower, cabbage or whatever.
Then we heard about this guy in Plumstead, Cape Town, that grew veggies in stainless steele troughs, drip feeding them some kind of chemicals.
The next thing we knew, the big sand removal excercise took place, and the hydroponic garden was established.
It was not long after that, that the market had to be built to accomodate the sale of fresh veggies.
To us this was magic.
One kind of imagines the hydroponics as the heart of Oranjemund, the blood of Oranjemund, the place that gave colour to the town.... Well the heart is gone....now... and the blood is flowing out......
Mike who is to blame for ruining the hydroponics. William Klemp. Nobody else. He took it over and trashed it like every thing else, the one green at the bowls club, the golf club, the town and I could go on and on. Where is the aresehole now.... In windhoek doing the presidents gardens on a ten year work permit with no questions asked but if hugo van rooyen gets hold of him he will kill him and he is not popular in kimberly where he comes from. So please blame the right person. He took the company and town for a ride got his money and ran like a jackal. Hope he gets his just desserts. Now he is busy buggering up the windhoek country club. Good luck to them.
Well, I could'nt wait so somebody I knew went down to the Hydro to take some snaps..... She informed me that the gates are now locked, strange she thought , s last year the gate was hanging open.... Anyhow a little bit along the fence there was a gap, where there was no sign... so she took the following snaps...
Turns out that in one corner of the shed, there is life..... green plants growing, must belong to the J&p GROUP, hence the padlocked gate....... pity they could not breathe life into the rest of the place....
Here are the snaps..she sent, I forget her name now.....
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I have been looking into prices of tunnels and greenhouses for my future plans. Can't believe that couple of hundred grands' worth of tunnels have been left to rot like that!!!!!! Makes me FURIOUS and even if I don't know the people responsible, I hate them for either being too bloody lazy, or too "slapgat", or plain and simple a**holes with no pride in their work or responsibility. No man, let me go take a few drops, my blood pressure's rising dangerously!
notfair
Yes Sandy, don't really want to look at the pictures as well. Really leaves a very sad feeling deep inside.
Interesting ?? some bit of life still there ,, what i saw just upset me so much I could not even look too long .. pity about the dead trees .. they supplied much needed wind shelter ..
And .. Strong words but thanks for the bit of history Kaye ... obviously very bad choices on part of company .. like mine on the "wisdom" of transporting fresh goods long distance when they could be done right there ??
or even worse for me .. the " wisdom" of our lovely wind shelter that embraced and sheltered the town ,,, the trees .. now ?? brown houses .. lots of wind and dust .. just puts the town dangerously close to becoming another dusty namibian dorp ...
Where are the hydroponics situated?
I was looking at Google Earth last night trying to remember what it looked like 50 years ago when I left for Standard 8 and never went back again.
Single Quarters with red roof on my left, looking North.
11th Avenue tarred road in front of me going past the school.
We lived to the right, number 21. Someone send me a pic please of 21 and the two houses on either side.
12th Avenue sand road
13th Avenue tarred.
14th Avenue sand road
15th Avenue tarred, what we called Dessert Street. no houses after that
The original Hydroponics were built about 50 meters North of Dessert Road.
Where those wavy tarred roads are.
John, a better idea from your era perhaps?
Another one... A= Hydroponics and B= Abbatoir
From 1962
OK, got it now.
For some or other reason I thought it was a bit further to the East, also the Abbatoir.
Great pics Mike! What is the structure/road immediately to the south of the hydroponics, in the shape of an "e"?
Great, that's my Oranjemund, more or less.
See the field in front of the school, that was to be named after our principal (Mr Anderson)
One morning the graders came in, graded it.
The next morning large trucks dumped large mounds of gravel.
That afternoon, we played there, thought they may need some leveling assistance.
We found stones that looked like old pieces of glass.
Next morning the front end loaders and big truck arrived to remove our topsoil.
Thats where the Mule derby used to be situated opposite 13th ave .. could it not have been the race track ?? just guessing but a race track not in a circle .. ?? dumb
That was my first thought as well, Sandy. I wonder....
Stennie, if I'm correct, that's where we moved after 11th ave, and you were our neighbor. Did you find any remnants of an ancient gladiator track in your garden? idontknow
Quote from: Michael Alexander on February 03, 2009, 06:08:36 PM
One kind of imagines the hydroponics as the heart of Oranjemund, the blood of Oranjemund, the place that gave colour to the town.... Well the heart is gone....now... and the blood is flowing out......
When't to town on Sat the blood is flowing out faster than we think, maybe I should look for greener pastures?
Alfred, hang on to what you have....
If you move to a new job, and the new place needs to retrench, you will be first out as you were last in....
Secondly, the demand for Oranjemund Gem Diamonds is about to go through the roof in about 2 months.... Demand is going to exceed suppply, there are only 20 years of proven diamond reserves left in the world, and we have the best quality..... there are still p[lenty of stones here...
The mine got too big and bloated, You saw it, how jobs were created with fancy titles.... the vast amount of engineers..... what a waste, this is perfect time for Namdeb to get rid of the excess fat.....
The sad downside is that we , as longtime residents have to witness a lot percentage of the town emptying out.... we have to witness friends and family departing..... but as long as your house has water and electricity and you keep it green... you should be content....
Alfred, Mike is right, if you still have a job, don't give it up willingly.
Hang in there Alfred.....the pastures aren't green here...our lawns are yellow.
Sometimes the pastures on the other side seem greener, but that is mostly because the manure is spread thicker.
Yes all just hang in ,,, some good news is the interest rate dropped another 1% , not good for my investment account , but once all papers are completed , I will be bond free , a tax free saving ... on the work front , its picking up , we wont do the short week take leave thing for the forseeable ... and our one major customer despite dropping us for a cheaper tender appears to be having trouble with their new supplier vis delivery and quality .. so we still getting these rush orders from them .. we doing lots of fancy footwork to service them , methinks it will pay off ... short term thinking and the " cheaper" price dont always work ..
Thanks guys
I don't want to leave my job, I just don't like the way the town is going
Like said .. all hang in ... its the panic that creates the crap ... simple scenario .. the cape ahs always been regarded as " slaapstad ' by the high flyers in Jhb .. but yes when the shyt hits the fan CT's laid back philiosophy has worked throughout the years , no panic , no lemming like runs ... no buy sell panic of our New York pretenders .. and yes witnessed the CT divisions of many corporates carry the weight .. and yes perform albeit slower but yes better .. we have a better mindset here .. and yes mindset is an important factor .. but yes if one is involuntarily booted out , well then thats fate a meant to be happening and yes it will stretch and test the strength of each affected ones character ... me immune to such happenings cos of mindset ... take a leaf out my life book ... do your best till the last .. it may not come , but forming mithering self pity groups only seals the destiny of those that participate in it . my two cents worth ... just dont shoot this messenger .. I'm very valuable ..